A beginner's journey (the payoff)

[RazzBarlow]

I was you. You are me.

We share the same doubts, the same anxieties.

Why did I buy that 20 qt kettle? It's too small to do 5 gal batches.
Why did I decide to do extract first? I should have just jumped into all-grain first.
Did I steep the grains in that first batch long enough?
Was my temperature right?
Did I mess it up?
Did I get the right yeast?
Did I mess it up?
Did I pitch the yeast too soon?
Did I mess it up?
Did I pitch it too soon?
Did I mess it up?
Why is it foaming out through the ferm lock?
Did I mess it up?
What is that floating in my brew?
Did I mess it up?
Why is fermentation slowing down?
Did I mess it up?
Did I let it get too warm?
Did I mess it up?
Is that an infection floating on top of my brew?
Did I mess it up?
Did I leave it on the yeast cake too long?
Did I mess it up?
How much pressure should I carbonate it at?
Did I mess it up?
How long should I carb it for?
Did I mess it up?
What's that sound?
Did I mess it up?

As I sit here tonight drinking a nice cold Nut Brown Ale (My first brew, a kit with extract & steeping grains). I have one thought...No, I definitely did not mess it up. This may be the best beer I have ever drank in my life!

Thank you to all of you here on HomeBrewTalk who have taught me. Some of you do not even know you have helped me. But I read your words and I learned from them, even if I didn't comment directly.

Thank you to Jim at All About Brewing (my local homebrew store), for guiding me and giving me the ingredients to this magical brew.

Thank you to my wife for putting up with the smell and the mess.

Thank you.

I think I'll go and pour another glass.

Oh...one more thing.

Yes, I'm bragging.

I posted on here about finding 5 corny kegs for $50 on craigslist a while back. To add to my lucky finds, I will add that I just bought a 15.5 gal Sanke keg for $40.00. So. I have solved the small kettle problem and can now do full boils (as soon as I cut the top of this keg), and I'm one step closer to all-grain!

 

[schokie]

Even though it's said on here in almost every thread, RDWHAHB. Though it's still natural to worry.

Thanks for reminding us that it's normal to worry, it's all ok, and the beer will turn out fine regardless.

 

[HeavyKettleBrewing]

Enjoying several mugs of my Citrachronica IPA. Been sitting in the keg conditioning and today was the first pour. I started with extract and quickly moved to AG within three quick months. If you like your beer now, you will love how it tastes in the months to come. Granted, I made some mistakes and gave away a lot of beer I was not happy with, I have finally turned the corner. The last three batches have come out SPECTACULAR. I learned so much on this forum and my brewing progression is a result of countless hours lurking and reading. Keep it up and congrats on your first brew!

 

[RazzBarlow]

Wow, I guess you have to be freakin out to get something going in the beginner's forum. No worries, I'm happy about what I've done.

 

[BrewKnurd]

Wow, I guess you have to be freakin out to get something going in the beginner's forum. No worries, I'm happy about what I've done.

What were you looking to "get going"? You didn't ask a question, or solicit anyone else's experiences, so why be surprised when no one responds?

That said, congrats on your beer.

 

[RazzBarlow]

What were you looking to "get going"? You didn't ask a question, or solicit anyone else's experiences, so why be surprised when no one responds?

That said, congrats on your beer.

I was sharing my experience, hopefully others could relate.

That said, thanks

 

[Jayhem]

I skipped much of the "worry" phase of newb brewing because I never start a project without knowning how it needs to go from start to finish, the benefits (or curse) of being an engineer by profession. Even my first AG batch had no problems and made great beer. That said I have definitely learned a lot since I started last year and my beer has improved greatly in that time frame.

Cheers!